Brian Moran strikes out brother in big league debut
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brian Moran became the first player in major league history to make his debut while on the mound facing his brother, striking out younger sibling Colin in the Miami Marlins‘ 10-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night.
Brian (1-0) entered in the fourth inning with the Marlins trailing 5-2. After Bryan Reynolds led off with a groundout, Colin stepped to the plate having doubled in each of his first two at-bats.
The 30-year-old Brian fell behind 3-1 before throwing back-to-back sliders to strike out Colin looking. The 26-year-old Colin shouted toward the mound on his way back to the dugout. Moran hit Josh Bell with a pitch and then got Melky Cabrera to fly out in his only inning of work.
The Marlins rallied for four runs in the fifth, allowing Brian to get the win. Colin finished 2 for 4.
They became the first siblings to face each other in a pitcher-batter scenario with one of the brothers making his major league debut, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Dario Agrazal (4-4) surrendered six runs, five earned, in 4 1/3 innings.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Kyle Schwarber’s grand slam off Drew Pomeranz capped a five-run sixth inning for Chicago in the opener of a crucial four-game series with Milwaukee.
The third-place Brewers dropped 7½ games behind first-place St. Louis in the NL Central and five back of the Cubs for the second wild card. Chicago remained 2½ games behind the Cardinals.
The Cubs loaded the bases with one out in the sixth on two singles and a walk against Matt Albers (5-5), and Anthony Rizzo hit a sacrifice fly off Pomeranz for a 5-4 lead.
Jose Quintana (13-8) allowed four runs and in five innings to improve to 9-1 in his last 12 starts.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dakota Hudson (15-6) pitched six innings of one-hit ball and hit a two-run single for his first big league RBIs.
Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer in a three-run first for the Cardinals, who won for the sixth time in seven games.
San Francisco has lost five of six and eight of 10, dropping 9½ games back for the NL’s second wild card at 67-73.
Génesis Cabrera finished the four-hitter for his first big league save. Logan Webb (1-1) allowed eight runs — seven earned — eight hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Phillip Ervin homered against Nick Vincent (1-3) leading off the 11th, an opposite-field drive to right that barely eluded Bryce Harper’s attempt at a leaping catch, and Philadelphia dropped four games behind the Cubs.
Matt Bowman (2-0) pitched the 11th for the win. Reds starter Sonny Gray allowed one run and four hits in six innings.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Robbie Grossman hit a two-run triple over center fielder Mike Trout as part of a seven-run eighth inning, when Oakland benefited from four consecutive walks, and the Athletics rallied from a 6-1 deficit to complete a three-game sweep. The A’s opened a one-game lead over Cleveland for the second AL wild card and are a half-game behind Tampa Bay for the top wild card.
Mike Trout hit 45th home run and tied Pete Alonso of the New York Mets for the major league lead.
A.J. Puk (1-0) retired six batters for his first big league. Puk, one of Oakland’s top pitching prospects, had not pitched since Aug. 26.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Reynaldo López (9-12) pitched a one-hitter for his first complete game in 75 career big league starts, and Cleveland lost for the fifth time in seven games. The Indians fell 6½ games behind the AL Central-leading Twins heading into a three-game series at Minnesota.
López (9-12) allowed an RBI double in the second to Kevin Plawecki.
Welington Castillo hit a two-run homer in the second off Zach Plesac (7-6), who allowed six runs in five-plus innings. Adam Engel hit a two-run single in the sixth off Hunter Wood that made it 6-1.
BOSTON (AP) — Left fielder Eddie Rosario threw out Rafael Devers at home plate for the final out, dropping the defending World Series champions 6½ games back for the second AL wild card,
Rosario delivered a strike to catcher Jason Castro as Devers attempted to score from second on a double off the Green Monster by J.D. Martinez.
Pinch-hitter Willians Astudillo drove in the go-ahead run in the seventh inning against Andrew Cashner (11-8) with just the second hit of the night for the Twins, who walked nine times.
Minnesota starter Martín Pérez (10-6) allowed one run and two hits in six innings, and Taylor Rogers got his 24th save.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — All-Star Austin Meadows broke a 4-4 tie against Buddy Boshers (0-3) when he led off the seventh with his 27th homer, then added an RBI double in the eighth against Ryan Tepera.
Tampa Bay, seeking its first postseason appearance since 2013, drew just 5,962, the second-smallest crowd this season at Tropicana Field.
Rookie Bo Bichette had his second multi-homer game for the Blue Jays, who have lost four straight and 13 of 16. Toronto is on a pace for 99 losses.
Bichette homered in a 13-pitch at-bat leading off the first and the score 4-4 with a two-run drive in the seventh off Oliver Drake (4-2).
Emilio Pagán retired Cavan Biggio on a game-ending flyout with runners at the corners for his 18th save.
ATLANTA (AP) — Max Fried (16-4) pitched one-hit ball over seven innings to outduel Stephen Strasburg (16-5) and push Atlanta a step closer to its second straight NL East title,
Mark Melancon made things interesting in the ninth, giving up a two-run homer to Victor Robles and a single to Juan Soto that brought the potential tying run to the plate. Howie Kendrick hit a game-ending groundout.
The Braves jumped on Strasburg (16-5) for two runs in the first, sparked by Ronald Acuña Jr.’s leadoff single. Acuña added to the lead in the fifth with his 37th homer,
Trailing the Braves by seven games with just over three weeks left, the wild card-leading Nationals likely needed to win at least three of four in SunTrust Park to have any chance to overtake the Braves and avoid the wild-card game.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Jordy Mercer put the Tigers ahead with their third home run of the fourth inning, and Detroit overcame a three-run deficit in a victory for the first time this year.
Kansas City built a 3-0 lead in the second against Matthew Boyd (8-10) when Whit Merrifield hit a two-run single and scored on Adalberto Mondesi’s double. Merrifield had four hits, one shy of his career high.
Harold Castro started the comeback with an RBI single in the third, and Detroit took a 4-3 lead in the fourth off Glenn Sparkman (3-11) when Brandon Dixon and Dawel Lugo homered on consecutive pitches with one out and Mercer went deep with two outs.
BALTIMORE (AP) — Rookie Kolby Allard (4-0) allowed one run and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings to won his third straight start, and Nick Solak hit a go-ahead, two-run homer off John Means (10-10) in the seventh inning.
José Leclerc gave up a leadoff double to Mason Williams in the ninth, walked Rio Ruiz with two outs, then retired Hanser Alberto on a flyout for his 10th save.
